Strips for the production of substrates for lithographic printing plates are produced by rolling after casting of an according aluminum alloy. The strip is usually produced by hot rolling a billet followed by cold rolling. After the strip has been produced, it is degreased and wound onto a coil. The coil is subjected to a pre-treatment by the manufacturer of the substrate for lithographic printing plates and then roughened by electrochemical means. Up until now, the microcrystalline surface layer, introduced by rolling, of the aluminum strip was removed to a great extent by the pre-treatment, such that the microcrystalline surface layer no longer played any part in respect of the subsequent electrochemical roughening procedure. With increasing production rates and thus a decreasing etching depth in the preceding cleaning steps and also during electrochemical roughening, based on the microcrystalline surface layer of the aluminum strips which, as of now, is becoming relevant, manufacturing defects appear more frequently due to poor roughening results.